TheLadders Blog

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of participating in Mediabistro’s first-ever Career Breakfast, a Google + hangout where a small panel of HR professionals and career experts gave their insight into various aspects of the job search process. This week’s topic was “What Really Happens After You Submit Your Resume.”

There’s a lot of advice floating around about standing out from the crowd during the application process. I’ve always believed, and my fellow panelists agree, that the best ways are the simplest. First, be qualified. The fanciest song and dance routine won’t get you anywhere if you can’t do the job. Second, have an easy-to-read resume that quickly conveys your experience and skills. A study done at TheLadders revealed that your resume has about six seconds to make a good first impression.

Whether you submit your resume through an advanced applicant tracking system or directly to a human being, the goal is the same. You want to submit a resume that lays out why you’re right for the job. It should be clear and clean: as free of bells and whistles as possible. A great resume won’t guarantee you a job, but a solid, well-timed, customized resume will likely get you an interview, and that’s the first step.

According to the responses I received, our audience got real value from the conversation. I love the opportunity to give insight from the recruiter/hiring manager side. I look forward to participating in many more of these events and helping more job seekers navigate the often frightening and confusing realm of the job search.

David Gaspin is the Manager, Talent Acquisition at TheLadders. When he’s not busy hiring amazing people for TheLadders, he keeps busy by trying to sound important – whether to his team, job seekers, or (for a real challenge) his 5-year old son.

When I learned that the two agencies on the June 3^rd episode of AMC’s The Pitch were both located in Manhattan and were vying for a women’s fashion retailer, I knew that this was a unique opportunity that we just had to capture. We headed to Times Square to the offices of Womenkind, a marketing and communications company, which was “built by women to engage women the way women really want to be engaged.”

Sitting down with co-founders Sandy Sabean, Chief Creative Officer, and Kristi Faulkner, President, we listened to what these two women knew about who controls 85% of all purchases in the United States: women. They discussed how their agency translates the findings gleaned from their research into innovative solutions for their clients who want to understand and motivate women. In fact, they frequently tap into their “muses” of dynamic influencers for their insight about what will inspire women to buy – and talk about — brands.

Womenkind will be competing against DIGO, a 14 year-old agency focusing on small to mid-sized companies, which was co-founded by two men, Mark DiMassimo, CEO and Chief Creative Officer, and Lee Goldstein, President. With female co-founders against male co-founders, Sunday’s episode will no doubt be a battle of the sexes on multiple levels: the client, C. Wonder, is owned by Chris Burch, ex-husband of designer Tory Burch and co-founder of her namesake brand. Did you catch all that?

Who will Chris Burch pick as his right-hand (wo)man to represent his concept boutique? Tune in this Sunday, June 3^rd, at 11pm ET to find out. An hour beforehand, I’ll be watching Mad Men, my favorite battle of the sexes!

Lisa Hagendorf is the Vice President of Public Relations for TheLadders where she is a huge ambassador of the brand in the office. At the gym. And on the street. She just can’t stop talking about TheLadders. Ever.

Right from the start, it was clear to me that these guys were experts.

On AMC’s new show, The Pitch, two ad agencies go head-to-head for a piece of new business. The ability to win new business can make or break an agency. Pitching a client is a fast-paced, exciting, and often highly stressful experience that only the best pros excel at.

One of the agencies in this weekend’s episode of The Pitch is DIGO, an integrated full service brand and business growth agency. I had the opportunity to head over to their offices in Manhattan and talk with DIGO’s Founder and CEO, Mark DiMassimo, and President Lee Goldstein.

We talked about the pitch process. The job search. And the importance of finding the right fit. Right off the bat, it was clear these guys knew what they were talking about.

As a job seeker, you only have to pitch yourself when you’re in a job search. These guys? They pitch for a living.

Watch the video to hear what they had to say. You’ll be as impressed as I was. And there’s plenty that you can take away for your own job search.

Of course, don’t forget to catch The Pitch on Sunday, June 3^rd, at 11 PM ET. If you want to see how the pros do it, that’s your chance to catch Mark and Lee in action!

William Beard is the Associate Creative Director of Copy for TheLadders. He loves to travel, always has ESPN.com open, and always takes the cheese option when it’s offered.

When our VP of Public Relations, Lisa Hagendorf, first asked me if I wanted to work with AMC’s The Pitch, I broke out in a cold sweat. It wasn’t the show’s fault — it was that simple phrase: The Pitch.

See, before I started my successful career here at TheLadders, I was an agency guy. I’ve worked at some of the biggest and best advertising agencies — Ogilvy, Euro RSCG, Draft and McGarryBowen. Throughout my agency days, I’ve worked on over 50 pitches. They can be exhilarating and they are always exhausting. Late nights. Bad take-out dinners. Intense discussions. Strategies. Concepts. More intense discussions. New strategies. New concepts. Arguments. Sometimes there was crying. Too many calls home, saying you’re still working. Finally, we’d finalize the concepts and send them off to production. There would be a light at the end of the tunnel.

But wait! Emergency meeting!

The new Executive Creative Director took a shower and now has a new strategy and creative idea. Swearing. Lots of swearing.

As soon as I became a Creative Director, I vowed to respect my teams and make sure I understood how they felt. But that goes out the door after a few late nights and the pressure you feel to win. No other professional business gets close to the insanity and pressure of “the pitch.” You have to be willing to put everything you have into it. No one wins because they brought in work they could do in one day. They might have done the work in one day but that’s because they only had a day to do it.

As I watched The Pitch, I felt the pain and excitement of the teams. A part of me wanted in. The competition showcased is really addictive and brought up old competitive feelings. The rush.

And it’s on AMC. Who doesn’t love AMC right now? They’re the most Emmy-recognized network on basic cable. Many of you know it as home to your favorite shows, including Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Killing and The Walking Dead.

TheLadders is happy to collaborate with The Pitch. How do we fit in? We’re experts on the elevator pitch, one of the key aspects of career advancement, and an essential part of a strong personal brand. The Pitch reached out to us because they know we can help professionals give the perfect Elevator Pitch and move their careers forward.

Learn more about perfecting your elevator pitch ›

Todd Hoza is Director of Creative & UX at TheLadders. When he’s not busy helping build the brand from the inside out, he’s taking credit for all the great work his talented team creates.